Journal
ATMOSPHERIC ENVIRONMENT
Volume 122, Issue -, Pages 65-73Publisher
PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD
DOI: 10.1016/j.atmosenv.2015.09.025
Keywords
Traffic-related air pollution; Active travel; Traffic mix; Non-motorized travel
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Inhalation of air pollution during transport is an important exposure pathway, especially for certain modes of travel and types of particles. We measured concentrations of particulate air pollution (particle number [PN], black carbon [BC], fine particles [PM2.5], particle size) using a mobile, bicycle-based monitoring platform during morning and afternoon rush-hour to explore patterns of exposure while cycling (34 days between August 14 and October 16, 2012 in Minneapolis, MN). Measurements were geolocated at 1 s intervals along 3 prescribed monitoring routes totaling 85 h (1426 km) of monitoring. Mean morning [afternoon] on-road concentrations were 32,500 [16,600] pt cm(-3), 2.5 [0.7] mu g m(-3) BC, 8.7 [8.3] mu g m(-3) PM2.5, and 42 [39] nm particle diameter. Concentrations were correlated with street functional class and declined within small distances from a major road (e.g., for PN and BC, mean concentration decreased similar to 20% by moving 1 block away from major roads to adjacent local roads). We estimate the share of on-bicycle exposure attributable to near-traffic emissions (vs. regional pollution) is similar to 50% for PN and BC; similar to 25% for PM2.5. Regression models of instantaneous traffic volumes, derived from on-bicycle video recordings of nearby traffic, quantify the increase in particle-concentrations associated with each passing vehicle; for example, trucks were associated with acute, high concentration exposure events (average concentration-increase per truck: 31,000 pt cm(-3), 1.0 mu g m(-3) PM2.5, 1.6 mu g m(-3) BC). Our findings could be used to inform design of low-exposure bicycle networks in urban areas. (C) 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
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